Mining of Gold to Restart Soon at Ramagiri: Minister
Mines minister Kollu Ravindra said gold mining at Ramagiri in Sri Sathya Sai district will resume soon, with the state planning to auction the abandoned Bharat Gold Mines.
Mines and geology minister Kollu Ravindra on Wednesday indicated that mining of gold at Ramagiri in Satya Sai district will restart soon.
Ravindra, accompanied by Rapthadu MLA Paritala Sunitha and others, inspected the abandoned Bharath Gold Mines in the Ramagiri area. They interacted with former mine workers and local residents to assess the ground situation.
The minister disclosed that Bharath Gold Mines will soon be put up for auction in an attempt to revive the state’s historic gold mining belt and extract gold.
Addressing media, Ravindra said the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the centre have given the necessary clearances for restarting mining operations. The clearance is based on the fact that Ramagiri gold deposits spread over 416 acres are richer than those at Jonnagiri in Kurnool district, where commercial mining has commenced recently.
“While Jonnagiri is estimated to yield about one gram of gold per tonne of ore, Ramagiri is estimated to contain around four grams per tonne, with some pockets yielding up to 6.5 grams of gold per tonne,” the Mines and Geology minister underlined. He said the state government is planning to revive gold mining at other locations too, including Chigurugunta in Chittoor district.
Ravindra alleged that despite the state’s abundant mineral wealth, the previous YSRC government had officially neglected the mining sector, while turning a blind eye to illegal extraction of valuable minerals on a large scale across the state. He charged that more than one lakh tonnes of mineral-bearing ore, along with machinery, had illegally been shifted from the Ramagiri mines in 2023, as against an estimated 4.6 lakh tonnes available at the site.
The minister said an inquiry would be ordered and those responsible would be prosecuted, irrespective of their political affiliations. Referring to illicit transportation of iron ore from Obulapuram, the minister said action would be taken against such illicit activities.
Ravindra asserted that the coalition government has recorded a 36 per cent growth in the mining sector. It is accelerating mineral exploration across AP for gold, magnetite, and iron ore to mobilise additional revenues and generate employment.
MLA Paritala Sunitha described the proposed reopening of the Ramagiri gold mines as a long-cherished aspiration of the region. She recalled that hundreds of families had depended on the mines for their livelihood before operations at the mines ceased in 2002.
“The revival of mining at Ramagiri will provide employment to hundreds of families and fulfil a long-pending dream of the people in the region,” she emphasised.
